This section is for discussions with other women who have probably been through the same signs/symptoms that you may be experiencing. Please note, we cannot offer medical advice and encourage members to discuss their concerns with their doctors. New members, come on in and introduce yourself!

My blood pressure has been steady. Lower when I lay down. A second blood lab showed everything was normal again and so I want to repeat the 24 hour urine this week to see if it got worse or better.
I see my OB on Wed and I will be 36 weeks. I told my Dr. that I am going to decline the induction because 37 weeks is too early. I will wait till 39 weeks. However, if my blood pressure goes up then I will call them.
I think it is encouraging that my blood tests are normal.

Hi and welcome to the forums. I'm assuming you have been diagnosed with preeclampsia?

The blood tests are mainly to check for HELLP syndrome, a rare and dangerous variant of preeclampsia. It is possible to have severe preeclampsia or eclampsia, including stroke or seizure, without having bad blood tests. Unfortunately it is impossible to predict how quickly preeclampsia will progress, and delivery is the only cure.

With my first pregnancy I went from slightly high blood pressure to severe preeclampsia in under 24 hours (narrowly avoiding an emergency c-section) at 38 weeks. It was a very frightening experience. So when preeclampsia struck again I chose induction at 37 weeks. I never got as sick plus my babies didn't require any extra hospital time. My pressures weren't that bad during delivery and I didn't require a magnesium sulfate IV. (unlike with my first).

At lot of docs are reccomending induction at 37 weeks in part because of the large HYPITAT study ("Hypertension and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial At Term") which found an improvement in maternal outcomes with induction at 37 weeks for hypertension or preeclampsia without a difference in fetal outcomes. The recent ACOG Task Force report on Hypertension in Pregnancy also says "For women with mild gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features at or beyond 37 0/7 weeks of gestation, delivery rather than continued observation is suggested" .

Had a disagreement with my OB Dr. who took my blood pressure in the hospital (I went in at exactly 37 weeks) for a muscle spasm in my upper left abdomen. They said I had severe preeclampsia because it was 162/93 and they wanted me to get induced right then and there. I said no and signed myself out AMA. Then I went over to my Cardiologist and he took my blood pressure and it was 148/84. All labs were normal at the hospital.
I waited till I was 37 4/7 days and had my water broken (by a midwife) and my membranes swepted. I also used herbal tinctures and a breast pump. I had contractions that night, the next day and then on the following day (48 hours) I decided to go to the hospital to get Pitocin because my labor just wasn't going anywhere.
Because I had fired my OB practice I was stuck with whoever the on call Dr. was. Well I was not happy with the way they treated me. First they wanted to give me Magnesium sulphate to prevent seizures and I said it would do nothing for my blood pressure. I signed a waiver declining it saying that my chance of a seizure was .2 to .5% and did not want it. Then my labor kicked in after some amniotic fluid leaked. It was intense and my contractions went from 20 minutes apart to 10 minutes apart. Then they really picked up to 5 minutes apart. The Dr. ordered Pitocin to "augment" my labor and I told the nurse "Are you kidding? My contractions are extremely painful (no pain medications cause I do it naturally!) The monitors could not pick up my contractions! They were confused?? If I wasn't working so hard at relaxing I would have told them to look at me not the dam machine!
So after 6 hours I gave birth. My blood pressure never went above 160/99 and the baby was born apgars of 9 and 9 and perfectly healthy.
Does anyone know what the statistics are regarding the chances of an eclamptic seizure? The letter my old OB wrote and was read at the hospital said that 1 out of 100,000 woman die each year from preeclampsia. Are they talking about woman who were not treated? Or all woman both treated with Magnesium sulphate or not. I just wanted to know what the odds were since I based my medical decisions on what I found online. I have had no medical problems since the birth and my BP is now normal. Thanks!
Carolyn

Please be careful. Things can change very very rapidly with pre-eclampsia. Are you able to monitor your blood pressure at home? I also hope if you decline the 37 week induction you and baby will be monitored carefully.

Thanks for the welcome.
My urine came back 501 so I definitely have Pre eclampsia. My blood pressure has been steady. Lower when I lay down. A second blood lab showed everything was normal again and so I want to repeat the 24 hour urine this week to see if it got worse or better.
I see my OB on Wed and I will be 36 weeks. I told my Dr. that I am going to decline the induction because 37 weeks is too early. I will wait till 39 weeks. However, if my blood pressure goes up then I will call them.
I think it is encouraging that my blood tests are normal.
Carolyn

Carolyn- welcome to the forums, I'm sorry you are dealing with pre-eclampsia- thankful you are already 35 weeks!

Be sure to check out all the signs and symptoms. Things with pre-eclampsia can sometimes change rapidly. It's a good idea to chat with your care team about particular signs and symptoms they will want you to either call them about or to go directly to L&D.

Hi,
I am 35 weeks and just diagnosed wit PIH and toxemia. However I am still waiting for my 24 hour urine to come back today. All labs were normal.
They said I had toxemia because of one urine sample in the office that was +1 protein.
So far I am feeling okay.
Carolyn